The Eagle of the Ninth is the story of Marcus, who is a Roman centurian who is assigned a post in Britain during the first century. Throughout the story, Marcus learns who he is as a person, and he also learns the story of what happened to his father when his father was a centurian in that same location. Marcus goes on a journey into the northern part of England and discovers that his father died a heroic death and that he can be proud of his heritage.